Sports Direct reforms not enough

Posted by Paul Blomfield1446pc on September 06, 2016

In June I infuriated Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley at a Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) Select Committee hearing by pressing him to give his staff proper contracts. Today Sports Direct announced that they will give retail staff 12 hour contracts and apologised for conditions at their Shirebrook distribution centre.

But their proposals don’t go far enough for retail workers and ignore the wholesale abuse of agency workers at their Shirebrook distribution centre who won’t be given these contracts. These staff routinely work 39 hours a week, so my question remains. Why can’t they simply have permanent contracts?

Sports Direct is the tip of an iceberg. Abusive employment practices affect too many people. I’m also pressing Ministers on the illegal underpayment of care workers and the impact of Employment Tribunal fees on denying justice to workers.